Stolen
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: With one of her eyes stolen in an incomplete theft of her Byakugan, Hinata would be targeted once again for her remaining eye. Naruto volunteers to keep her safe, with Tsunade and the others' approval, and Hinata found that it wasn't just her eye that had been stolen.
1. Chapter 1

**My first NaruHina fanfiction. What do you think so far? Cliché? Cute? What? Well, whatever you think it is, please review your thoughts on this fanfiction! And maybe think of a new name for it as well. I'm out of ideas...**

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**Chapter 1**

Hinata curled on the ground, whimpering with pain. The sky was getting lighter, but she couldn't tell. It was dark. It was too dark.

She heard footsteps in the distance. "Hinata-sama! HINATA-SAMA!" They were coming closer.

She tried to speak, but the pain overwhelmed her and all that managed to come rasping out of her throat was the never-ceasing whimpers.

Someone knelt next to her. "Hinata-sama!" It was Neji. "Hina—"

"HINATA!" That voice! She stirred, but sharp pain exploded and she fell back. "Hinata!" He was right next to her now. "Is she okay?!"

"Does she look okay, you idiot?!" Neji roared at him, his voice frantic. "Get Sakura!"

"O-Okay!" Naruto disappeared and Hinata whimpered again. She didn't want him to leave. Neji's hand patted her arm in an awkward way, as if he wasn't used to it, but also soothing as well.

Then there were more voices and she mercifully passed out.

* * *

When she finally woke, it was to a bright white room and she couldn't see out of her left eye. Reaching up, she tried to feel around the area, but someone stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist.

"Hinata." She turned around to see Naruto staring at her with solemn cerulean eyes. "Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously. "W-What are you doing here?"

He shook his head, the look in his eyes changing from solemn to something akin to fear and regret. "You don't remember?"

Hinata thought for a few minutes. "I remember people wearing black taking me from my room and away to the forest. They told me not to scream." Her voice became frightened. "But I did and they hurt me." She unconsciously touched her stomach, where she remembered one of the men punching her hard enough to drive the air from her lungs. "Then they made me kneel down and then there was so much pain…" She looked at Naruto frantically. "What happened to me?"

Instead of replying, Naruto came forward and pulled her to him, burrowing his face in her hair. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time."

"Naruto-kun?!" she asked, alarmed by the intense guilt and sorrow in his voice.

Tsunade came in then, and Naruto moved back to a discreet distance as Neji, Hiashi, Shizune, Kakashi, and Jiraiya came in. The Fifth Hokage and the rest took stock of Hinata's blushing face and Naruto's intense gaze and more than one began to inwardly grin, but refrained from outwardly doing so in front of the worried Hyuugas.

"How are you doing?" Tsunade asked, coming over to stand by her bedside next to Naruto with Shizune a few steps behind her. Kakashi and Jiraiya moved to lean against the windows and the Hyuugas stood at the end of the bed.

"I-I'm fine." She looked at the people around the room. "Can somebody tell me what happened to me?" She indicated her face. "I-I can't feel…" She trailed off as she saw that the others were exchanging frightened looks.

"Hinata-sama." Shizune gently spoke up as she stepped forward. "Unidentified enemy shinobi kidnapped you in the middle of the night three days ago. They-They cut out your left eye."

Hinata's mouth dropped open and her gaze wandered to Naruto, who had an anguished expression on his face. He looked down as she stared at him. "M-My Byakugan…"

"You won't ever use the full potential of the Byakugan ever again." Hiashi's voice was soft and sympathetic, not hard and stern like what Hinata was used to. "With half an eye…"

Hinata turned to Tsunade. "But I can still be a kunoichi, right?" Her voice sounded shrill and desperate to her ears. "I can still…"

But Tsunade was shaking her head. "I can't tell yet. We have to see if we can retrieve your other eye and try to restore your vision. At the moment, you are relieved from active duty." Her gaze hardened. "Those shinobi will be back for your other eye. They won't have much use with just one and since they're targeting you now, and you're not safe in the Hyuuga compound, we'll have to hide you somewhere." She gave a pointed look towards Kakashi, but before he could speak up, Naruto did.

"I'll take care of her." His fierce gaze was full of blue fire. "Those bastards won't get within a hundred feet of her." He met each person's eyes in the room, save for Hinata's. "I promise."

Hinata turned crimson as Jiraiya gave a knowing chuckle. Kakashi smiled and said to Tsunade, "Let Hinata stay with him for a while until the enemy is taken care of. He is one of the strongest shinobi in our village at the moment."

Hiashi nodded. "I agree. Naruto has proven himself worthy enough to take care of Hinata."

Neji glared at the blond young man. "Just as long as he doesn't try anything." Once again, Jiraiya snickered.

Hinata felt lost, her face still vermilion. Did Naruto-kun just say he'll protect her? And did they say she was going to stay with him? She thought her head would explode from the heat rising to her face.

"You'll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, so Naruto, I guess you can start preparing for Hinata's stay in your home. I'll have the ANBU protect her until then." Tsunade ran a practiced eye over Hinata and nodded. "Dismissed, everyone." She turned on her heel and left with Shizune.

Naruto didn't look too pleased, but he knew better than to protest, especially since it concerned Hinata's health and safety, so he merely nodded and stood. "Hey, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "Lemme talk to you for a bit." The Sannin placed his arm around his student's shoulders and steered him from the room, followed by Kakashi.

Now, only Neji and Hiashi were left. "You'll be fine with Naruto," Neji said. "After all, he can control the Kyuubi's power, plus he has the Rasen-Shuriken."

"I know," Hinata whispered, her mind still digesting the fact that she'll be staying with Naruto for an indefinable amount of time. Her eye flickered to her father. "You-You're not… mad?" she asked meekly.

Hiashi shook his head and smiled slightly. "Just get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and left, followed by Neji.

Now alone, Hinata finally succumbed to her wild thoughts and promptly fainted from embarrassment.


	2. Chapter 2

**What do you think? Personally, this is pretty good, and you all know why I blame Jiraiya in the end, right? Review! :D**

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**Chapter 2**

Shizune fixed a medical patch to Hinata's missing eye to protect it from infections and the like. "Come back twice a week so we can check up on you. Change the patch once a week and come to me if you have any difficulties."

Hinata touched the waterproof patch and nodded. "Thank you, Shizune-san." She turned to Naruto, who stood behind her. "Can I go now?"

"Yes. Good luck, Hinata-sama," Shizune said as Hinata and Naruto left.

"I'm starving!" Naruto said. "Let's go to Ichiraku's!"

"Umm… ok," she said, blushing slightly. Her eye wandered around, trying to compensate for the lack of her left eye. Whenever someone wandered too close to her blind spot, she flinched away from them. Noticing this, Naruto went to stand by her left side.

"Don't worry, I told ya I'll protect you," Naruto said grinning as he took Hinata's hand, making her blush harder than ever. "So do you wanna go to Ichiraku's?"

"S-Sure," she whispered.

They left the hospital and went to Naruto's favorite store in Konoha, receiving many inquisitive looks from passerby. Hinata quailed under the judgmental stares, not noticing that Naruto glared at anyone who looked at her funny.

At Ichiraku's, Ayame and her father welcomed Hinata with open arms, offering their condolences for her injury. "Today's ramen is on the house!" Teuchi said firmly. "Now what would you like?"

"Five miso ramen, three pork, and two beef!" Naruto said firmly. He turned to Hinata, who stuttered out, "I-I-I'll h-have m-m-miso r-r-ramen."

"Coming right up!"

Just then Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru came in. "Hey, Hinata!" Kiba said, peering into her face. "Man, they really did a number on you." Akamaru barked and whined, nosing her hand.

"Oi, back off, will ya?" Naruto interrupted. Hinata turned her head to see him better and saw that he looked… pissed.

Kiba raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, but smirking knowingly at the same time. "Sorry, man. She's my teammate. Gotta make sure she's alright."

Shino didn't say anything, but merely said, "Naruto is strong enough to take care of you, Hinata, although his skills in disguising his feelings are nil."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto asked angrily as Hinata merely looked confused.

Kiba snorted with laughter, but before he could speak, Ayame placed bowls of ramen before Naruto and Hinata. "Miso ramen coming up."

"Thanks!" Naruto said happily and dug in. Kiba and Shino sat down as well and ordered bowls of ramen. Nervously, Hinata nibbled on hers. "Aw come on, Hinata. Just dig into it!" Naruto said encouragingly.

"B-B-But…"

But Naruto picked up some of the noodles with his chopsticks and held it in front of her face. "Here, eat up!"

Hinata fainted.

"Dude, that was a little much. I think you broke her."

"Shut up, Kiba!"

* * *

When Hinata still didn't wake up, Naruto picked her up and carried her back to his apartment, leaping over the buildings so that they don't get jostled in the crowds below. Within minutes, they had arrived and Naruto set her down on his bed, tucking her in. He retrieved her bag, which Neji had dropped off yesterday, and put that in his room before going back out to the living room.

Bored, he wandered out to the balcony with a carton of milk and stared at Hokage Mountain, his mind wandering.

"Naruto-kun?"

He started and slopped milk all over his hand. Swearing under his breath, he turned to see Hinata standing at the doorway, blushing. "Yeah, Hinata?"

"Um… I'm sorry for fainting. Y-You just caught me by surprise."

"Oh. Oh, nah, it's ok," he said, grinning. "You hungry though?" You didn't get to finish your ramen."

"I-I'm ok! I-I-I just wanted t-to use your shower…"

Trying to beat away the images that instantly came to his mind, Naruto said, "It's down the hall to your right. You can't miss it."

"O-Oh. T-Thank you, N-N-Naruto-kun."

"And you don't have to call me Naruto-kun," he said, grinning. "Just call me Naruto."

"A-Alright." Blushing furiously, Hinata ducked back into the apartment as Naruto tried not to think of her in the shower.

"….I HATE YOU ERO-SENNIN!"


	3. Chapter 3

**I seem to be rushing a bit, aren't I? I don't know... I haven't been feeling any inspiration for this fanfiction lately. Everything seems so dull somehow. I'm not going to quit on it, but updates could be a bit slow from now on, sorry.**

**Review please.**

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**Chapter 3**

A few days later, while looking at herself in the mirror, Hinata saw a pale-faced girl with long dark hair and one large milky white eye tinged with lavender while the other was covered by a white medical patch taped shut with adhesive tape. The rest of her was covered by a plain white t-shirt and a pair of baby blue pajama shorts.

A knock on the door. "Hinata?"

"Come in, Naruto."

The boy opened the door to the steamy bathroom and looked at her. "Oh hey. You were taking so long so I got worried."

"Sorry about that."

Silence, and Naruto knew something was wrong when she didn't stutter, blush, or fidget. She merely continued to stare at herself in the mirror. "Hinata? What's wrong?"

"I…I want to see myself." Sensing his confusion, she turned to look at him. "Everyone keeps giving me these weird or pitying looks and I even saw someone turn away and start gagging when Shizune was changing my patch. I want to see myself."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, coming over to her, with his arms slightly outreached, as if to hold her.

Hinata nodded determinedly. "Yes. Even you, Naruto, sometimes look at me with pity. I want to know if it's that bad."

Naruto sucked in a breath. "This better not be some stupid Nindo thing," he muttered, reaching up. His hands trembled as he gently removed the patch. After a few tense seconds, wherein he stared at her and she stared at him, he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around.

She immediately recoiled, her mouth flying open with horror and disgust. How Naruto managed to even continue looking at her was a marvel. Her skin was red, a little tattered, and slightly swollen and the tips of a shiny pink scar that ran diagonally across her eye showed above the skin.

Only… there was no eye.

Instead there was a hollow black socket. That's it. Even her eyelid was gone.

A strangled cry tore from Hinata's throat. "My eye!" she wailed. Dimly, she realized that she probably should've been more distressed in the beginning, but it seemed that actually seeing living proof of it would be the thing to set her off.

Naruto reached for her and held her to his chest, turning her head away from the mirror as she sobbed and wailed, tears pouring out of her good eye. He was murmuring something in her ear, but she didn't listen, continuing to howl out her grief.

"I'm hideous," she sniffled. "No wonder they all look away from me."

"Hinata!" Naruto's voice was hard and he pushed her back against the wall so that he could look into her face. She turned her head away, not wanting him to be disgusted by what he saw, but he put a hand to her cheek and forced her to look at him straight in the face. "Don't ever say that you're ugly," he hissed furiously. "Don't ever _ever_ do that again, do you hear me?"

"How can you even look at me?" Hinata said. "Everyone else looks away; even Neji-nii-sama and Kiba and Shino and Sakura and Ino and Shikamaru and Choji and Lee and Tenten. How can you look at me and not be disgusted?"

"Because I see you for who you are, not what you look like on the outside!" Naruto hissed back. "It's cause you're beautiful, even if you're missing an eye."

Hinata stared at him. Did Naruto just say she was beautiful? All of a sudden she felt something lift off her chest, but was still compelled to protest. "B-But my eye…"

"We can train together so you can fight and defend yourself!" He grinned cheerfully at her as she continued to gawk at him, brushing away the last of her tears with his thumb, causing her to blush at his touch. "We'll work this out, ya know!"

"Ok…" She held herself still as Naruto taped the patch over her eye once again. "Now let's go eat ramen! I have this awesome special edition ramen that I've saved up for a while. You can have it! It's sold out everywhere else, ya know!" He took her hand and led her out the bathroom before sitting her down at the table.

While Naruto boiled the water and got out his stash of ramen, Hinata stared at him, still pondering what he'd said.

He said she was beautiful. And that he saw her. _Really _saw her; something that no one has ever done.

She flamed up, remembering how she'd buried her face into his chest. His magnificently muscular chest. Pinching her nose against the onrush of blood, she reached for the carton of milk sitting by Naruto's chair and quickly gulped down the cool liquid.

"Uh…are you ok?" Naruto was staring at her with an odd look on his face.

"Oh! Um, yes, I'm fine," Hinata said hastily.

"That's good!" Naruto said grinning, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He went to answer it and opened the door to see Shikamaru standing there with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Shikamaru!"

"Hey, Naruto, Hinata." He raised a brief hand in greeting before turning back to Naruto. "Tsunade wants to see you tomorrow. Says she has a short mission for you and it's pretty important."

"But…" Naruto glanced back at Hinata and Shikamaru said, "Some ANBU will be watching over her, just like normal. And Neji will be camping over here for a bit. Don't worry, we've got everything covered."

A silence, then Naruto sighed heavily. "Alright… How long is this mission?"

"Two days, maybe."

"OH HELL NO! I'M NOT TAKING THIS!" Naruto was about to slam the door shut in Shikamaru's face, but then Hinata spoke up.

"It's alright, Naruto. If Tsunade-sama says this is important, then you should go." Hinata went over to stand next to him. "Shikamaru say Neji-nii-sama will be watching over me. I'll be perfectly fine."

"It's not that…," Naruto mumbled, looking down.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome. Well, she also told me that you better be there tomorrow or she won't go easy on you. Good night." With that, he sauntered away and Naruto shut the door.

"Naruto…"

"I don't want to take this mission, Hinata," he sighed, pouring hot water from the kettle into bowls of ramen. "I'm supposed to be the one protecting you. How can I do that if I'm on a mission?"

She smiled slightly as she sat back down. "I'm not sure how to answer your question, but if you go, I'll cook for you."

Naruto's head lifted with interest. "You can cook?"

Hinata blushed slightly. "W-Well, you can't live off ramen forever, Naruto."

"Yeah, but you can cook?"

"I-I learned how to make a few dishes when I was younger." She blushed harder at his admiring gaze. "Just really simple ones, though."

"Aw, heck, that's even better than what I can do!" Excited, Naruto nearly upturned his ramen, but stilled himself just in time. "Can you make ramen, Hinata?"

"I can make homemade ramen. I even know how to make the dough and all."

"Sugoi!" Naruto grinned. "So if I go, you'll make me ramen?"

Hinata smiled, reddening. "If you want."

Naruto looked elated for a second, then slumped, frowning. "But I won't protecting you, like I promised to."

"Don't worry," she said. "Everything will be fine." Hinata smiled cheerfully, but feeling a little coil of unease deep in her chest, for she knew that even if she tried to tell him that everything was alright, she didn't want him to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Not my best work, but it's not too bad. Sorry for the long updates. I'll make it up to you with some fluff in the next chapter! Review! :D And read To Love A Jinchuuriki as well, please!**

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**Chapter 4**

Eyes stared at Hinata wherever she went in the market. She blushed self-consciously as she put a bag of flour into her filled basket and nervously stepped towards the cashier. Neji, also carrying a basket full of groceries, muttered, "Ignore them. People are just naturally curious by nature."

She knew, but she was still intimidated and embarrassed by the stares. Quietly, she paid for the groceries and nearly sprinted out of the market, Neji barely keeping up.

"Hinata-sama! Wait up!" She slowed and he caught up to her. "You shouldn't have run away like that. Where's your pride?"

"I don't know…" Tears began to prick her eye. "I… I feel so much more confident when Naruto's with me. And now he's not." Hinata unconsciously clutched the grocery bag tighter. "I shouldn't have let him gone on that mission…"

Neji was silent. He sighed. "You couldn't have done anything about it. Tsunade-sama would force him to go anyway." He took her arm. "Come on, let's go back to his apartment. Didn't you say you were going to make him ramen when he comes back tomorrow night?"

The two Hyuugas took to the rooftops, reaching Naruto's apartment in less than eight minutes. Entering with the key Naruto had given her that very morning right before he left, Hinata and Neji set the groceries on the table and placed the appropriate items in either cupboards or the refrigerator in the corner. The apples and oranges that Hinata bought as well went into a large salad bowl that she found on a shelf and placed on the counter of the kitchen table.

Now not knowing what else to do, Hinata sat at the table while Neji lounged on the couch, which was occupied on one end by a pillow and a folded blanket. The couch was where Naruto had slept for the past few days, since the boy insisted that she took his bed, much to her embarrassment. Neji would be residing there for a night and will stay with her until Naruto returned tomorrow afternoon or evening.

"What would you like to do, Hinata-sama?"

She frowned slightly. "I'm not sure. What would you like to do, Neji-nii-sama?"

Neji shrugged. "Perhaps we can train at the dojo until it's time for you to return. I'm sure Hanabi-sama would like to spar with you again."

Hinata smiled slightly. "Alright then, let's go."

* * *

At the end of the day, Hinata was worn out from training and longed to take a hot shower and relax for the rest of the evening. Neji appeared to have similar thoughts, but allowed Hinata to shower first. When she came out, she prepared dinner for the two of them as Neji showered and the two spent the time eating in comfortable silence.

That night, Hinata lay alone on Naruto's bed, feeling oddly cold and alone. Naruto's scent still surrounded her, but for some reason, there was a feeling of hollowness and fear in her chest.

Closing her eyes, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Nightmares plagued her.

_It was dark. Someone had clamped their hand over her mouth and nose so that she could barely breathe. There was that feeling of flying and suddenly they came to a halt._

_She knelt on the grass. The moon shone overhead, but she couldn't see._

_Then the figure in front of her held up a kunai and the moonlight glinted off the sharp edge. It swooped down._

_Then pain. Unimaginable, agonizing _pain.

_Something twisted in her head and then she was falling, her mouth open in a scream._

Hinata woke up, still screaming. She burst from the bed and tumbled to the ground. Without stopping, she scrambled to a corner of Naruto's room and huddled there, shivering as she pressed both hands to her missing eye.

Neji tore into the room, kunai in hand. "Hinata-sama!" He turned and saw her on the ground, crying from her right eye, rocking slightly back and forth. "Hinata-sama?"

"It hurts… It hurts," she moaned quietly. Neji went over and knelt next to her, pulling her to him and holding her close as she continued to sob.

* * *

"Alright! We're back!" Naruto cheered, bounding into Konoha. He sneezed and wiped his nose, looking up at the sky. It was overcast with a sort of metallic charge in the air that indicated at a thunderstorm.

Behind him, Sakura sighed. "We haven't even been away that long."

"So?" He turned towards the Hokage's office. "Let's report back to Tsunade-baa-chan. I wanna get home soon."

"More like you want to get back to _Hinata_," Ino giggled, smirking. Next to her, Shikamaru and Choji snickered.

Naruto blushed slightly. "So what? I'm supposed to take care of her, aren't I?"

"It's just that… you're a little… how do I say it— clingy?" Sakura shrugged self-consciously at Naruto's disbelieving look.

"I don't think it's clingy. More like _overprotective_," Ino corrected.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as the girls bickered. "Troublesome." He strolled away towards the direction of his home. "I'll leave it to you guys to report back to Tsunade-sama."

"Same here," Choji said, following his friend.

"Hey!" Naruto protested, seeing them walk off. When they disappeared, he glanced behind him at Ino and Sakura and sighed before continuing on by himself.

* * *

"Good, you're back," Tsunade said, looking up from the scrolls on her desk.

"Yep, it was easy!" Naruto grinned.

"And here I thought it would take two days… Well, it's good you're back so early. I—"

Naruto sneezed. Loudly. "Sorry," he sniffled, wiping his nose.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Are you sick?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Yesterday did rain quite a bit over there, but I'm good!"

She nodded. "Anyway, I've dispatched Hinata to the hospital this morning." She watched as Naruto stiffened and bounded forward. "Hinata? Why? What happened?!"

"Apparently she woke up in the middle of the night screaming and crying and complaining that her… eye socket… hurts."

"How is she?"

"Last I've heard, she's alright. Neji went back to the Hyuuga compound and if Shizune clears her, you're free to take her home." Tsunade looked at him. "You may go."

Before she even finished speaking, he was gone out the window towards the hospital. A moment passed, then she chuckled lightly. "Ah… young love."

* * *

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled, bursting into the room.

The girl looked up and gasped before launching herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. He held her close and pressed one hand to the back of her head. "Hinata, what happened?"

"I don't know…" Her voice was muffled. "I had a nightmare last night and it started hurting."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. I thought it was something else." He pressed his lips to the top of her head and closed his eyes.

They remained in that embrace until Shizune opened the door, wherein they jumped apart. The woman paused at the door, eyes flickering between the two of them before visibly shrugging and said, "Hinata-sama, you're cleared. You can go home with Naruto now."

"T-Thank you," Hinata whispered, beet red. She quickly left. Naruto was about to follow, but Shizune stopped him. "Naruto, can I speak to you for a second?"

He nodded, dumbfounded, and Shizune partially shut the door. "Keep close to Hinata-sama, alright? I have this weird feeling that the only reason why she had that nightmare in the first place is because you weren't there last night." She giggled. "Ah~ young love~"

But Naruto simply stared at her. "You're saying Hinata gets nightmares whenever I'm not around?"

Shizune shrugged, "Like I said, it's just a feeling. She probably feels safe around you, so she doesn't feel afraid." She smiled. "That's true love right there."

He blushed. "Do you think she knows?"

"I doubt it, but we all know you know how she feels about you."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah… Anything else, Shizune?"

"Nope. Good luck!" she called as Naruto walked out of the room. Hinata was waiting for him in the hall. "Is anything wrong?" she asked.

"Nope!" he said, smiling at her, causing her to blush deeply. "Nothing at all."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hopefully it's longer than the other chapters and I did say there was going to be some fluff in this chapter. Well, I think this fanfiction should be halfway done or almost done... I never intended it to be longer than at least 10 chapters or fewer. But I'm telling you guys too much info. Read To Love A Jinchuuriki, please! I won't release the next chapter until I get more reviews lol Review~!**

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**Chapter 5**

Once Naruto stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed that Hinata had made him dinner. A bowl of steaming homemade ramen sat on the table, with slices of pork, a hardboiled egg, and a little mound of vegetables sitting on top of the noodles.

"This looks so good!" he said eagerly, sitting down. Hinata blushed at the compliment and watched as he eagerly dug in. He was done in five minutes. "This is even better than the ramen at Ichiraku's! You should make me more ramen!"

"There's some more in the pot." She smiled, pleased that he enjoyed her ramen so much. Getting up, she ladled more into his bowl, but when she turned around, he was right next to her. "Naruto?" she asked, putting the bowl down.

Without a word, Naruto swept her up and held her flush against him, possessively wrapping his arms around her. Hinata turned crimson and felt herself begin to black out. "N-Naruto?" she gasped out, struggling to stay focused.

"I don't want you to feel like you're not safe anymore…" He pressed his face to her hair. "I don't want you to get any more nightmares." His lips ghosted over her ear. "And I don't want you to be afraid anymore."

Her fingers flattened against the curve of his back. "I don't… Not when you're around," she whispered shyly.

"Good." His lips drifted to her forehead as he pulled back slightly. The edges of her vision began to darken. "Don't faint on me now," he said jokingly.

Hinata smiled timidly as Naruto let her go to reach for the bowl of ramen she'd left on the countertop. As soon as his arms retracted from her waist, she once again felt that feeling of loss, but quelled it, rejoining Naruto at the table and starting on her own ramen.

* * *

That night, Hinata tossed and turned, not able to sleep. She was exhausted, but something prevented her from falling asleep. With a sigh, she sat up, amongst the rumpled sheets, hair mussed.

"Why can't I sleep?" she muttered to herself.

The door creaked open and Hinata looked up to see Naruto poke his head through. "Can't sleep?" he asked softly.

She blushed and began to smooth down her hair. "Y-Yeah…"

He came in and shut the door after him. She began to blush harder as he approached the bed. "Scoot over."

_WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? _Hinata mentally screamed.

"W-W-W-W-Wh—" she squeaked out instead. But Naruto had already climbed in, drawing the covers over himself. He patted the spot next to him. "Come on."

Poor Hinata nearly fainted. "W-W-W-Wait…"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought maybe I could help you sleep." Naruto took her hand and tugged slightly. "So come on. Maybe if I'm here you'll feel better." His cheeks darkened as he spoke.

Hinata looked at him with astonishment then slowly slipped below the covers until she was lying down, keeping an appropriate distance away from Naruto. She couldn't help but notice that he looked slightly unhappy about it. "G-Goodnight, Naruto."

He smiled, a little wistfully. "Goodnight, Hinata."

She smiled back and shut her eye, instantly falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The rain was pouring down when Hinata woke. She stirred and rolled around, feeling lethargic. A clap of thunder sounded and she jolted upright. She looked at Naruto.

The young man was lying with his eyes closed, one arm outstretched as if reaching for her. He breathed lightly, peacefully. Suddenly he stirred and cracked open one eye. "Hinata?"

She lowered herself back down to the bed. "Good morning."

He groaned. "I don't wanna get up yet…" He shifted and his arm shot out and wrapped itself around Hinata, pulling her closer. "Naruto?!"

"Shh…" he murmured. "Stay here for a bit. I don't feel so good…"

"O-Ok…" She lay quietly, not daring to breathe. A jerk of his arm, and then she was right against him. "N-N-Naruto?!" she yelled, blushing furiously.

"Relax, Hinata. I'm not going to do anything."

"N-Not that. I'm not worried about that."

"What are you worried about?" When she didn't reply, he sighed and lessened his hold on her while keeping his arms wrapped around her torso. "Don't be scared anymore, Hinata. I'll protect you."

She merely smiled sadly. _How can you protect me if the one thing I'm scared of is that you won't love me back?_ Naruto slowly began to drift back to sleep as she watched. _You can hold me close like this… But I know you think of me as a friend. And if you think of me only as a friend, then I will contend with that... as long as it lets me get closer to you._

Hinata sighed and timidly relaxed against him, closing her eye. She felt his chest move as he breathed. Then he coughed.

"Hm?" She looked up at him.

"Sorry," he muttered, coughing again as he put one hand over his mouth. "This just came out of nowhere."

"Are you alright?" Hinata reached up to touch his forehead. "You're very warm," she commented, frowning.

"I feel hot. And cold." He coughed again. "And my head hurts."

"You probably have a fever. Do you have a thermometer anywhere?"

"There might be one in the bathroom." She got up and went, rifling through the shelves hidden behind the mirror. Finding one, she went back to the bedroom and stuck it in Naruto's mouth. The thermometer beeped and she took it out. "You have a fever of 100.4. You're going to have to stay in bed and get some rest."

Naruto looked like he was going to argue, but Hinata glared at him. "I'll get medicine for you and make you congee, but you're going to have to sleep a lot."

He sighed, pouting. "Fine… But the Kyuubi's going to heal me anyway."

"I still can't take the risk." She went back to the bathroom to wash the thermometer and to dig out fever pills for him. Getting a glass of water, she put them by Naruto's side and disappeared into the kitchen, saying, "I'll make breakfast, but after you eat, you have to sleep."

"Can I have ramen?"

"No!"

Naruto pouted. "Hinata's so mean…" But he smiled affectionately as she left and obediently took his medicine.

As the rice and water was placed on the stovetop, Hinata looked around for the ginger she bought yesterday with Naruto. Finding that, she added several slices as well as cubing a sweet potato and adding that in. As soon as the water boiled, she watched over it carefully, making sure it didn't stick to the bottom. Once the consistency was right, she ladled some into a bowl and brought it to Naruto.

The boy was lying with his eyes closed. The rain lashed against his window, but he didn't seem to mind the noise.

"Naruto," Hinata called softly.

He opened his eyes. With some difficulty, he sat up and leaned heavily against the headboard. Hinata sat next to him and scooped up some of the congee, gently blowing on it and slowly feeding it bit by bit to Naruto.

He obliged and lied back down as soon as she was done. She washed the bowl and put the lid over the pot before wetting a towel with cold water and placed it over Naruto's forehead.

Now with nothing left to do, she sat next to him and watched the rain. Lightning forked in the sky and the boom of thunder soon followed. Naruto's light snoring filled the room.

Another flash of lightning and a human silhouette shone on the wall. Hinata screamed and jerked back, but there was nothing outside.

"Hinata?!" Naruto jerked awake, the towel slipping off his forehead.

"I-I thought I saw… someone outside. The window."

Snarling, Naruto stumbled to the window and threw it open, letting the rain splatter on his hair and clothes.

"Naruto! You'll get even more sick!" she cried, but he ignored her.

"Who's there?!" he yelled.

There was no reply and with a curse, Naruto slammed shut the window. A second later, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Who is it?" he snapped.

The door opened and an ANBU wearing a dog mask stepped in, dripping water from his clothes and short black hair. "I'm sorry for the intrusion. I was wondering what was with the recent commotion."

"Hinata thought she saw someone by the window, but there was no one there," Naruto replied.

"I see... I admit that I haven't seen anyone close by, but I'll report this to Tsunade-sama just in case." The ANBU nodded and disappeared.

Hinata curled up on the bed. "I'm sorry," she whispered miserably. "I was probably paranoid and saw things."

Naruto sat next to her, drawing her to his side. "Don't be sorry. We have to be careful from now on, that's all." He pressed his face to the top of her head.

"You should sleep," she said after a few minutes of comforting silence.

"Ehh… I can't sleep now."

She scoffed. "You're sick. You need to sleep." She pointed down at the bed with a stern expression. "Now."

Naruto grinned. "Ok, fine." As soon as he did, an arm shot out and pulled Hinata down over him. "Naruto!" she yelled, blushing.

"Aw, come on. It's not that bad right? Plus… you help me sleep…" His voice trailed off and snores began to fill the air once more.

Hinata smiled and settled down next to him. "You really are the most unpredictable ninja…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Aww, I think this was pretty cute lol Hope you like this and the fact that I published two chapters in one day. I'm exhausted now lol Anyhoo, I take back what I said about To Love A Jinchuuriki in the last chapter, but I would appreciate it if you guys would read it, review, fav, follow, or yeah. I'm actually almost done with both of these fanfictions and I want more people to read them so please, check it out. **

**Review~ Hope you don't think this is a corny chapter! Especially the end!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"I see. That is very strange. For the ANBU to not catch him, he must be very skilled," Tsunade said, hands clasped before her with her elbows resting on the desktop.

"It could be because of poor visibility. There was a very bad thunderstorm yesterday," Shizune pointed out.

"That too," Tsunade acknowledged. "Or this person has a water-type jutsu. Really, there are a myriad of ways."

"But still, to get past the ANBU…"

"We cannot take this person lightly." Tsunade looked hard at Naruto and Hinata, who were standing before her. "Hinata, you saw only a silhouette?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. I didn't see any distinguishing characteristics."

"You didn't use your Byakugan?" As soon as she said it, the Hokage cursed and slapped her forehead. "I forgot. I'm sorry, Hinata."

"It's alright. But I didn't think of using it at the time, and I wouldn't have been able to use it properly."

"Not just properly," Naruto interjected. "When you tried it last night, your left started bleeding."

"It's true. It seems that her nerves and veins are still trying to compensate for the lack of an eye and combusted from the strain. As such, she cannot use her Byakugan at the moment. Perhaps in time her body will get used to the change, but right now, it's advisable not to use her bloodline limit. Her chakra is also depleted much more rapidly and she reported that though she still retains the abilities of the Byakugan, they were all cut in half," Shizune reported, glancing down at a clipboard.

"Cut in half?"

"I can't see the chakra circulatory as clearly and I can't see as far as I used to. I also can't see in a 360 degree field of vision. More like a quarter of that," Hinata explained.

"Hm." Tsunade was silent. She turned her eyes to the ANBU with the dog mask that had come to Naruto's apartment last night. "You may go, Yoshi." The ANBU bowed and disappeared in a whirl of smoke. She sighed. "We're getting off topic. So you saw a man's silhouette, but wasn't sure it was real…" She closed her eyes. "Well, all we have to do is station more ANBU. You already have an entourage of up to 8 ANBU. I'll boost it up to 15."

"F-Fifteen? Isn't that a little much, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Not if our enemies are already progressing this far. They already know that you're living with Naruto. I think it would be best if the two of you relocated somewhere else."

"Where would we go?" Naruto asked with a determined expression.

Tsunade thought for a moment. "There's an underground bunker several miles west of here in the forest. You can use that to hide away for a while. The ANBU will be accompanying you there."

"How long will we be staying there?"

"Until I deem it safe. You two won't be coming back to Konoha for a while, but I'll have someone send you daily deliveries of groceries. Just don't expect them too much. We have to be inconspicuous." Tsunade stared off into the distance before nodding shortly. "Yes…This might work. I want you two to start packing right away. You'll leaving in one hour."

Naruto nodded and grabbed Hinata's wrist. "Come on, Hinata. Let's go."

She mutely obliged and followed as he leapt out the Hokage's window. "Naruto…"

"Yeah?" He didn't look back at her.

"Are you… really alright with this? I mean… leaving your home and going out to some bunker in the woods for a long time." Hinata stared at the back of his head. "Why are you doing so much just for me?" She laughed, then. "No… you'll do as much for any friend of yours. That's who you are." Leaping forward, she jumped over a crowded street and landed on the roof of a nearby building. "Thank you… Naruto."

He didn't reply. "Let's just pack our stuff. We need to keep moving."

"Alright."

They landed on Naruto's balcony and stepped inside. Hinata folded several of her shirts and tucked them neatly in her bag, then went to the bathroom to retrieve her toothbrush and comb. Naruto was also putting clothes in a bag, but left room for a bunch of instant ramen.

Once done, they left through the balcony. A female ANBU with a tiger mask and long hair pulled back in a simple ponytail met them. "Come with me. I will lead you to the bunker." She took off and Naruto and Hinata followed them.

As they traveled, Hinata caught glimpses of other ANBU surrounding them, moving so fast they were merely dark smudgy blurs against the bright colors. After a while, they had arrived at the main gate, where they were met by Akamaru, Kiba and Shino.

"Yo!" Naruto called out. The female ANBU had disappeared.

"Naruto! And Hinata! Are you two going on a mission?" Kiba asked, riding upon Akamaru's back.

"Yep! Just something easy. No need to worry!" Naruto grinned and took hold of Hinata's wrist again. "We gotta go. See ya, Kiba, Shino, Akamaru!"

"Come back soon!"

The ANBU reappeared as soon as they were in the woods. "You shouldn't have stalled."

"Sorry. They would've been suspicious if I didn't make something up."

Hinata kept glancing back. "I feel bad for deceiving them."

"Don't be." Naruto fell back slightly to keep pace with her. "We'll see them soon."

She smiled. "Mm."

* * *

The door to the bunker is set in a dingy little cabin that was half rotted through. The iron door was set in the floor and a male ANBU with a wolf mask unlocked it with a large key and opened it. "It shouldn't be too bad inside, even if nobody has used it for a while."

The staircase led down to an eerie darkness. Naruto nodded and went down first, Hinata soon following. The female ANBU who led them there went with them.

After a short while, they arrived on flat ground. Someone felt around and flicked a light switch and a bulb hanging from the top flickered to life. Hinata looked around.

It was a simple place, with a kitchenette, a door that led off to the bathroom, a square table with four chairs grouped around it, another door that led off to a supply room, and bunk beds against the wall. There was nothing else but for a small ventilator shaft set in the wall. "Um… What about that ventilator shaft?" Hinata asked, pointing at it.

"We have an ANBU keeping guard over the end of it. This place is safe." The ANBU turned back to the stairs. "There should be some stuff in the storage room. I'll leave you now." She placed an electronic clock and a nightlight on the table. "For the time and the darkness." And left. A few minutes later, there was a clang as the door closed.

Naruto sighed and went to sit on the lower bunk. "Man, I wish they had a window. I'm gonna get claustrophobic."

"Same here," Hinata admitted. She set her bag on the floor. "But this place seems alright. I just wish I brought something to do…"

"Same." They sat in silence for a second, then Hinata went into the storage room. "Oh look, they have sheets and pillows." She brought them out. "Get off, Naruto. I need to fix your bed."

With a groan, he did, and Hinata made quick work of spreading the stiff sheets over their beds and throwing on the blankets and pillows. While she was working, Naruto had gone through the storage and brought out a dusty kettle. "You want ramen, Hinata?"

"Sure."

They ate in silence, then glanced at the clock. "It's still early, but I'm kinda tired. I guess I have some aftereffects from the fever." Naruto stood and yawned, disappearing into the bathroom.

Hinata threw out her bowl and hurriedly changed into a shirt and cotton shorts as well as plugging in the nightlight. A soft glow emanated and she stepped back just as Naruto emerged with his clothes changed and a toothbrush stuck in his mouth. "Oh, you're going to sleep too?" he asked.

"Might as well. I'm pretty tired from everything that's happened." She went into the tiny bathroom with her toothbrush and proceeded to clean her mouth. Spitting out the foam and rinsing her mouth, she left so Naruto could do the same and climbed up to the upper bunk.

Naruto followed after shutting off the light and climbing into the lower bunk. The nightlight turned his hair to a dark gold color and threw shadows over his face and eyes. Hinata touched her medical patch and settled down. "Good night, Naruto."

"Um…" He cleared his throat nervously. "Do you mind if you sleep with me down here tonight?"

"Hm?" she peered over the edge to see Naruto looking up at her sheepishly. "W-Will we fit, though?"

"I think we might. It's a little tight though." He looked up at her again. If you don't want to you don't have to…"

Hinata blushed. "N-No. It's alright." She nervously climbed down and stood facing Naruto. He sat on the bed and slid his legs in before easing himself down. Hinata did the same, facing him, and he closed his eyes.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Hinata," he said in a hopeless voice.

"What do you mean?" she asked anxiously.

"Friends. Is that all you think of me as?"

Her heart pounded. "I-I… um…"

His eyes opened. "Hinata. I know you like me."

She squeaked and hid her face in the pillow, feeling as if she would die from mortification. Her face felt hot from her blush.

Naruto rolled her over so that her face was visible again. Hinata tried looking away, but he put a hand to her face, preventing her from doing so. "But that's ok, cause I feel the same way."

Then he leans in and kisses her on the mouth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry it's so short and huehuehuehue I'm so evil sometimes. I changed this because I'm too lazy to think up another crazy twist in the story and there's no point cause it's almost over. So sorry if you liked the original ending of this chapter and for those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, don't worry about it.**

**Review!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Hinata jolted awake. _A dream?_ She looked around.

Instead of lying in Naruto's arms, she was on the upper bunk, wrapped in a thick blanket. She sighed.

_A dream it is, then._

Sliding off the blankets, she climbed down the ladder and lightly dropped to the ground. The clock read 3:39 in the morning.

Going to the bathroom, she quietly brushed her teeth and went to take shower. As she stood under the spray, she remembered her dream. How warm Naruto's lips were on hers…

Hinata blushed all the way down to the tips of her toes. Was it true? That he knew that she liked— no, _loved_— him? And that he liked her back?

She squeaked and hurriedly turned off the water, wrapping herself in a scratchy towel. She dressed once again in her pajamas and got out. The bunker was brightly lit again and Naruto is at the foot of the stairs, talking to someone.

"Who is it?" Hinata asked, joining him.

Neji, and Tenten were looking down at them from the open door of the bunker. "Neji-nii-sama! And Tenten!" she said with surprise.

"Good morning, Hinata-sama," Neji replied. Tenten simply waved, a grin on her face.

"Why are you here?" Hinata asked.

"Deliveries." Tenten pointed to the backpack in Naruto's hand. "We also packed some extra kunai, soldier pills, and shuriken."

"Thank you." They nodded in return. "Hinata-sama, Tsunade also asked me to tell you that the ANBU have spotted someone around Naruto's apartment. It seems your suspicions are correct, though the ANBU failed to catch the person."

"Could it be possible that there's someone working on the inside?" Naruto asked.

"There's a chance, but so far, there's been no one suspicious." Neji glanced behind him. "We need to go. We've been here far too long."

"Be safe, Neji-nii-sama," Hinata said anxiously. "If they can't get me, they might go after you or Hanabi."

"I know. Thank you for your concern, Hinata-sama." Neji smiled and closed the door.

Hinata watched as they disappeared and turned away, going over to sit on one of the chairs. "I'm worried about them…"

"They're all worried about you, Hinata. Everyone is." Naruto put the backpack on the table. "We're all willing to risk our lives for you."

"But I don't want any of you to die over me." She could feel tears well up in her eye.

"Hinata." Naruto knelt and took her face in his hands. "It's because we care about you that we are all doing this. It's not cause you're the former heiress of the Hyuuga clan. It's cause you're our friend."

A tear ran down her face. "Was it really a dream?"

Confusion furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I don't want it to be a dream…" She bent forward and hugged him, her face in his shoulder as she cried. "It's a dream…"

Now thoroughly bewildered, Naruto remained in that position, awkwardly patting her back. "It's ok… It's ok."

"Yeah…" she sniffled. "It's…ok."

_I don't want it to be a dream…_


End file.
